Steve Sarkisian: Having connections to Texas high schools on coaching staff is 'huge'

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian understands the importance of recruiting high school talent from in-state. However, it’s not just the players he has his eye on, but the coaches as well.

When he was hired at Texas in 2020, Sarkisian brought on Lancaster High School head coach Chris Gilbert to be his director of high school relations. Two years later, when Gilbert left to join the staff at North Texas as an assistant, Sarkisian went back to the Texas high school football ranks to bring on Austin LBJ head coach Jahmal Fenner as his replacement.

Those hires have been extremely beneficial in helping the Longhorns stay at the top when it comes to recruiting in-state talent. But, as Sarkisian explained at the Texas High School Coaches Association conference this weekend, it’s more than just what they can do for the program.

“It’s been huge,” he said. “I’m about opportunity and the fact that Chris Gilbert was able to come on board and get a full-time position job at North Texas. Then you hire Jahmal Fenner, who probably in a year or two will be in the same boat. That creates that opportunity for the next guy. We’re about promoting success for people and I think along the way our players forge great relationships with those guys.

“The high school coaches in the state of Texas know that we’re hiring good people and they want to be around the program. Come to practice, meetings, whatever that looks like. They’ve got a great conduit to make that happen.”

Thanks to help from Gilbert, the Longhorns signed top five recruiting classes each of the past two seasons. Their 2023 class was the best since Sarkisian took over, coming in at No. 3 according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

Of the 25 players the Longhorns signed, 15 of them were from the state of Texas, accounting for more than half of the class. That includes a pair of five-star prospects in linebacker Anthony Hill and receiver Johntay Cook II, the No. 3 and No. 5 players in the state, respectively.

Sarkisian realizes the large role that the former Texas high school coaches on his staff have played in those signings and will continue to strengthen those relationships as he builds the program heading into the SEC. More than that, he hopes the position can continue to be a “springboard” for coaches like it was for Gilbert.

“Ultimately, that connection and the growth out of the position is why those guys took these jobs,” he said. “If I can be a springboard for them, that’s a huge deal for us and the fact that we can keep bringing people in. Great people, good people that are respected in the high school ranks. Then, they can go on and do more. That’s good for them. That’s good for us. That’s good for our players. Ultimately, everybody wins. “